A pregnant mother whose waters broke at 16 weeks refused to abort her unborn child, despite doctors warning he had just a one per cent chance of survival.

Katy Evans was devastated when she was warned her baby was unlikely to live, with experts advising she have a termination due to the high risk of serious infection.

But the 35-year-old was adamant and refused to give up, determined to let nature take its course.

Incredibly, two weeks later, scans revealed her waters had replenished themselves in her womb - something doctors treating her had never seen before.

Katy Evans's waters broke when she was just 16 weeks pregnant, leaving doctors to warn her unborn baby had a one per cent chance of surviving

Baby Leo was born at 34 weeks, after Mrs Evans's waters replenished in her womb - something doctors told her they had never seen before

Five months later, Mrs Evans and her husband Rich welcomed their 'miracle son' Leo, a brother to their three-year-old daughter Amber.

Mrs Evans was at home in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, when her waters suddenly broke in August 2013.

‘I was sitting at my computer, printing out travel documents as we were due to go on holiday to France the next day,’ she told MailOnline.

‘I’d had a bit of bleeding earlier in the pregnancy so when I suddenly felt a gush of liquid between my legs, I thought that I was bleeding again.

‘But then I realised that it wasn’t blood at all. I was so confused. My mum was there and I told her that I thought that my waters had broken. But neither of us could understand how that could happen so early in the pregnancy.’

Although her pregnancy with Amber had been straightforward, Mrs Evans, who works as regional development manager for a charity, had previously suffered a miscarriage and was worried history was repeating itself.

Share this article

Her mother took her to A&E at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage – but not before Mrs Evans quickly looked up her symptoms online.

‘I wanted to be armed with information before going to hospital,’ she said. ‘Reading medical websites, about waters breaking so early in the pregnancy, I realised that this was very bad news indeed.’

Mr Evans, who works for Deloitte, rushed to be at his wife’s side in hospital, where the couple were given the devastating diagnosis.

Mrs Evans had preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM), a rare condition causing the amniotic fluid to drain from her womb.

A scan revealed that there was barely any amniotic fluid left to protect their unborn child in the womb.

‘We could barely make out our baby on the scan picture,’ Mrs Evans told MailOnline.

‘It was a really scratchy image because it’s the amniotic fluid that allows you to see the foetus in the scan.’

Doctors advised Mrs Evans and her husband Rich contemplate a termination, because the risk of infection was so high, and the chances of their baby surviving was so low

Mrs Evans told MailOnline: 'I didn't want an abortion... I wanted nature to take its course'

Doctors warned the couple that their unborn child had less than one per cent chance of survival.

And even if it did survive, it might develop without limbs or be born unable to breathe.

There was also a high risk of Mrs Evans developing a dangerous womb infection.

‘It was a lot to take in,’ she said.

She was admitted to hospital for the next 48 hours and given antibiotics to reduce the chance of infection.

Meanwhile, doctors prepared her for the high possibility that she’d lose her baby. In most cases of PPROM, labour begins within 48 hours.

I didn't want an abortion... I wanted nature to take its course

But as she waited in bed for what seemed to be an inevitable miscarriage, Mrs Evans was not prepared to completely abandon hope.

‘I’m a positive person, by nature, and I refused to give up on the pregnancy or mourn this baby until we knew exactly what was happening,’ she said.

While resting in bed, she spent two days researching the condition.

‘I joined Facebook support groups on my phone, read medical papers and exchanged messages with other mums,’ she said.

‘I discovered that, in reality, there seemed to be a much higher rate of survival in these cases than the one per cent figure from official statistics. That gave me hope.

‘But I also forced myself to read negative stories, from mums who’d lost their babies, which was very upsetting.’

Mrs Evans learned it was standard procedure for doctors in the UK to offer a termination to expectant mums with PPROM, to give them the best chance of avoiding an infection.

But she refused to give up on her unborn child. 'This was a very much wanted pregnancy,’ she said. ‘I could feel my baby kicking. I already loved this little person.’

When, after two days, she hadn’t miscarried, a consultant came to see her and asked if she would agree to a termination.

But the couple, who also have three-year-old Amber, pictured with her baby brother, said they were determined to let nature take its course, refusing to give up on their unborn child

WHAT IS PRETERM PRELABOUR RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES?

Preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes happens in expectant mothers who are less than 37 weeks pregnant.

Most women will go into spontaneous labour within 24 hours of rupturing their membranes.

But six per cent of women do not go into labour within 96 hours.

The earlier into the pregnancy the rupture occurs, the less likely it is that the onset of labour will be within a specified time period.

The condition affects six to 19 per cent of term pregnancies and occurs in two per cent of all pregnancies.

The condition is associated with 40 per cent of preterm deliveries and can lead to high morbidity and mortality.

Risk factors for the condition include:

Smoking - heavy cigarette smoking increases the risk of PPROM early in a pregnancy

Previous preterm delivery

Vaginal bleeding

Lower genital tract infection

An expectant mother may describe feeling a 'popping sensation' of a 'gush' with continuous watery liquid draining.

A woman will be taken into hospital immediately and admitted in many cases for the at least 48 hours.

In most cases delivery should be considered at 34 weeks.

It is recommended that women diagnosed with PPROM should not exceed 96 hours after their membrane has ruptured. The risk of maternal and fetal infection increases the longer the time between membrane rupture and the onset of labour.

‘Knowing he was safe, despite all the odds, was overwhelming. Little Amber adored her baby brother too.

‘She grinned all the way home from hospital in the car.

'Over the next few weeks, she was so caring towards him. She’d carefully lay a tea towel on him as he slept, saying that he needed an extra blanket.’

Leo is now eight-months-old and thriving, weighing 17lb.

‘He’s sitting up and chatting and his paediatrician says that, by 10 months he’ll have completely caught up with his development,’ Mrs Evans said.

A spokesman for the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, said: 'Fortunately the complications that Ms Evans experienced during her pregnancy are very rare, and we are absolutely delighted that she went on to have a healthy baby boy'

‘We feel unbelievably lucky. It’s just over a year now since I was sitting in that hospital bed, waiting for a miscarriage.

‘I read all the other stories from women that had been through the same thing and had sad endings so I know very well how it could have gone.

‘There was certainly a point when I told myself that there wasn’t much hope. To go from that to looking at my son, a year on, feels surreal and wonderful. Leo’s grandparents call him the miracle baby.

‘We’re all so blessed and grateful to have him. He's a very special little boy.’

A Lister Hospital spokesman said: ‘At the Diamond Jubilee Maternity Unit at the Lister hospital in Stevenage, we see over 5,000 expectant mothers a year.

'Fortunately the complications that Ms Evans experienced during her pregnancy are very rare, and we are absolutely delighted that she went on to have a healthy baby boy.

'We understand that she was happy with the care she received at the Lister and would like to wish her and baby Leo all the best for the future.’